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If you’re reading this, are you real?

Prof. Crawford (Tim) Elder’s new book, hot off Cambridge University Press, is a tough read, he admits.

“I feel sorry for the readers. I think I write like an angel, but it’s just a lot of hard work,” says Elder, who is head of the philosophy department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The ideas he puts forth in Familiar Objects and Their Shadows are hard for the layman to understand, and they fly in the face of mainstream metaphysics. To illustrate, you could say that some micro-particles fly very temporarily in front of what is not really a face. That’s because the prevailing thought is, what we call a face does not really exist. Composite objects, made of many parts, are impossible. Objects that endure for generations? Not there. Thoughts and desires? Illusory.

A book is not a book, it is sub-atomic particles that are arranged to look like a book. As Elder explains this theory, which he is not afraid to call “whacko,” he drops a large volume onto his desk with a convincing, or unconvincing thud, depending on your philosophical stance.

Elder explains that his is a more common sense approach, which he believes can be supported by strong philosophical arguments that do not ignore the “fuzzy edges” of our world.

He calls himself a realist, because he believes in independently real objects. The prevailing view in metaphysics is a “poorly thought-out obsession,” he says. “Let’s take this more seriously and try to answer these philosophical problems.”

The problems are sticky because there are so many variants in how philosophers regard the reality, or unreality, of objects. We’re talking about “medium-sized” or everyday, familiar objects here, bigger than quarks, but smaller than the galaxy. Objects like trees, rocks, plants, or even people.

Elder once called a leading philosopher on the phone after the fellow wrote an article with the title, “I Do Not Exist.” When he answered the phone, Elder asked him, “So who am I talking to?” And the fellow answered, “Well, who are you, and what’s talking?”

This drive for accepting only what can be precisely described goes too far, Elder says, and is illogical. If you can only describe an object as micro-particles that are plant-wise arranged, he says, then you have lost the argument, since you had to use the idea of a plant in describing it. This is the “shadow” of the familiar object that he refers to in his book title, and it’s the Achilles heel of the prevailing view, he believes.

“I claim, all the stories they tell to explain these appearances covertly bring in the things they are trying to get rid of.”

“They have to invoke what they later dis,” he adds.

There’s more to the story – is there such a thing as rich or poor, for example, and how to you draw the distinction without losing it? If you take a penny away from Donald Trump, is he still rich? And if you keep removing pennies, at what point does he become poor? The messy edges of this problem defy precision, Elder says.

And, what makes a guy go to the refrigerator and take out a beer – because he wants one, as Elder maintains, or because his neurons sent him there, as many current metaphysics thinkers would maintain? This neuron-driven theory of mental causation is vexing, Elder says, because it ignores thoughts and desires.

Elder knows that he is part of what he calls a “small coterie” of thinkers in metaphysics who defend familiar objects, but even this group disagrees about how and why they exist. He expects to get “raked over the coals” (if they exist) as other philosophers read and respond to his ideas.

But he is happy that his latest book refines and strengthens ideas he put forth in an earlier book, and he hopes that the royalties will be enough to add another real object to his office.

“Maybe I’ll be able to buy another espresso machine.”

Or, as his detractors would have it, a collection of quarks arranged to appear to be an espresso machine.

Join us for a talk by Gina Barreca,2018 UCONN BOARD OF TRUSTEESDISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH

All great works of fiction, poetry and dramaâas well as texts forming mythologies, religions, national epics to heroic sagasâhave loneliness at the heart of their narrative. From Persephone to Peter Pan, from âFrankensteinâ to âFrozen,â the stories we pass along are saturated with unwilling isolation.âOnly around half of Americans say they have meaningful, daily face-to-face social interactions,â according to a 2017 study. A former U.S. Surgeon General argues that âWe live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s.â We need more than social media. We need social contact. We need community. How can we break through the loneliness barrier? Being alone when in need of companionship is more than sad; itâs an epidemic.Chronic loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. We need to change our national story and, often, our personal ones as well.Even the concept of the âlone wolfâ is a myth. Wolves hunt in packs.

Reception to follow.

For more information about this event, or if you are an individual who requires special accommodation to participate, please contact the CLAS Deanâs Office at (860) 486-2713.

A liberal arts and sciences degree prepares students with the tools they need to excel across a wide range of careers. Given the number of options available to you, it can be overwhelming to narrow down career choices. Attending CLAS Career Night will provide you exposure to career opportunities for CLAS students.

This semesterâs focus will be on research-based careers. During this event you will engage with CLAS alumni, learn about various occupations, and gain insight about how to best prepare for your future career.

The McNair Scholars Program and the Office of Undergraduate Research invite you to join us for a brown bag research seminar.

Birds, Bacteria, and Bioinformatics: Why Evolutionary Biology is the Best

Sarah Hird, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Molecular and Cell Biology

This series is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, and is designed especially for students conducting (or interested in conducting) STEM research. These seminars are opportunities to learn about research being pursued around campus, to talk with faculty about their path into research, and to ask questions about getting involved in research.

About CLAS

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the academic core of learning and research at UConn. We are committed to the full spectrum of academics across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. We give students a liberal arts and sciences education that empowers them with broad knowledge, transferable skills, and an ability to think critically about important issues across a variety of disciplines.